dearly devoted: August 2010

Aside from summer work, travel, etc. I've been busy playing with my new Apple iPad. Yep, I took the plunge. Aside from the ZOMG! factor, it's been an investment for school and freelance work. If you live in New York, you know that you carry your life in your bag – laptop, makeup bag, notes, food/coffee, etc. It all adds up. So far, it's holding up as a laptop substitute and is a breeze to throw inside my bag (along with a Bluetooth keyboard) and use to type up class notes, work emails, etc. on-the-go.

I was so excited I documented its unboxing when I laid hands on it.

Here is my iPad ready to play/work.

Now, I'm going to share with you my favorite apps to use for the iPad along with the case I'm rocking with it. Most are free which is perfect when you want to get up-to-speed in testing your iPad for your needs/wants.

Must-have Apps:
eReader Apps: Kindle, iBooks
Fun Wow! Apps: FlipBoard, (streams Twitter/Facebook updates), Google Earth
Handy: Epicurious (Cooking), EverNote (writing), NPR (listening + reading), Adobe Idea Board (sketching)
Entertainment: ComicZeal (reading manga), CrunchyRoll (watching anime, dramas), CineXPlayer (watching my AVI formatted movies)

So, when you're sporting the hottest device around town, you know you're not going to want an ordinary case to show it off. Hello, JAVOedge Cherry Blossom Axis Case (Twilight Purple). Full disclosure: I do freelance work for JAVOedge. When my boss heard I picked up an iPad, he offered me a choice of cases as a way to congratulate me (he's a total tech purchase enabler).

I've been scouting iPad cases already but the JAVOedge Cherry Blossom Axis Case had me on 2 key parts:

1) The Japanese cherry blossom print is awesome, eye catching, and very distinctive.

2) The functionality of the case itself is killer. The case can flip your iPad into landscape or portrait mode and can be set to tilt at 3 different angles. That is SO major for someone who's as OCD-ADD multitasking as I am. Want to watch movies? Flip it to landscape mode. Want to read manga? Flip to portrait mode. Need to type at a good angle? Set it at preferred tilt. I love having choices and so far, I haven't seen a similar case that offers me the pretty femme looks with the practical functionality.

See the JAVOedge Cherry Blossom Axis Case for the iPad in motion. I created a lil' stop motion animation for it (due to my MBP spazzing, I had to shoot it with my iSight cam!)

So, I had to share my iPad love with a review of my iPad and its new case because, really, the two go hand-to-hand as any iPad user will know. The case makes my life easier when handling the iPad. I don't get folks who just handle their iPad naked. At 1.5 lbs., the iPad is a bit heavy to handle for a long length of time. Using a case that has a kickstand prop helps me reduce neck strain which is a big deal for someone who is addicted to their computer/Internet as much as I am.

Pro's: Looks. It doesn't look like a typical "tech" case. Ability to flip iPad into landscape, portrait mode. Fabric exterior makes it soft/nice to touch.

Con's: The rubber steps can leave some smudges on iPad screen. Easily wiped away but it could be more thoughtfully integrated into the case. You may need to break the case in to get it to work to your liking (not so much a biggie).

Overall: The iPad is a great choice if you're looking for a light-weight alternative to a netbook. It's an eReader, movie/music player, and has some convenient uses due to its form. With a blue tooth keyboard, you can easily type up notes for meetings and it's great for demo'ing photographs, sites, etc. if you're in the creative business. I definitely love my JAVOedge Axis Case -- it's versatile, attractive, and really functional at being able to set it at portrait or landscape mode. At $40, it beats Apple's official iPad case! if you're interested, they have other designs for girls and guys at Amazon.